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Mr.
Carlos Zárate
President of SEATECH INTERNATIONAL INC.
Mr.
Diego Canelo
General Manager of SEATECH INTERNATIONAL INC.
Fax. 095 677 89 29 – Cartagena – Colombia
Ref.: Resolution 001
Antiunion actions at SEATECH
Cartagena │Colombia
Dear Sirs,
As we opened the 37th Meeting of the
IUF's Latin American Executive Committee
in Bogotá, Colombia, last November 3, the Food
Industry Workers’ Union (USTRIAL)
informed us that its president, Freddy
Magurro Velázquez, had been brutally beaten
by members of SEATECH Internal Security
Service. An examination by a forensic doctor
confirmed the beating and determined he had
suffered significant injuries.
Before beating him, the security officers
demanded that Magurro hand over his cell
phone, accusing him of using it to film their
pathetic and despicable repressive measures and
the antiunion harassment they had subjected him
to. He was watched constantly, followed around
everywhere he went in the plant, his movements
were restricted, and he was unreasonably locked
up. This psychological abuse, which amounts to
true moral harassment, is aimed at driving our
fellow worker Magurro out of the plant.
This deplorable situation is compounded by the
numerous serious incidents that have been
reported against SEATECH Cartagena for
some time now, which evidence brutal antiunion
practices in blatant violation of domestic and
international labor norms.
An example of these antiunion practices is the
recent dismissal without justification of 86
workers, including leaders and members of
USTRIAL. So unjustified were these
layoffs that 42 have been overturned by labor
courts.
Last week two journalists, Malin
Klingzell-Brulin and Gunnar Brulin,
members of the Swedish Food Workers' Union (Svenska
Livs),
traveled to Cartagena to prepare an on-site
report calling attention to the complaints
timely filed by Colombia’s United Workers
Federation (CUT) and IUF Latin
America.
Dear SEATECH Executives, it is not our
intention to take this to a higher level of
international pressure, but if your company does
not show a substantial change in
Cartagena, rest assured that we will deploy our
greatest efforts to denounce you in each and
every country you export your products to.
We will continue alert and monitoring the
situation, giving the Food Industry Workers’
Union our broadest international solidarity.
Sincerely yours,
Argentino Geneiro
President of the IUF's Latin American Executive
Committee
Gerardo Iglesias
IUF Latin American Regional Secretary
Ron Oswald
IUF General Secretariat
Montevideo, November 10, 2010
Cc:
Dr. Angelino
Garzón,
Vice President of the Republic
Dr. Mauricio Santa
María Salamanca,
Minister of Social Protection
International
Labour Organisation (ILO-Geneva)
Dr. Marcelo Castro
Fox Delegado (ILO-Colombia)
National Agro-Food
Union of Colombia (UNAC)
United Workers’
Federation (CUT)
National
Association of Fish and Seafood Preserves
(ANFACO-Spain)
Svenska Livs (Sweden)
National Union of
Agroindustry Workers (SINTRAINAGRO)
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